Controlling device for operating implements in sewing-machines.



1. R. MOFFAT'T. I

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR OPERATING IMPLEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-1.1.1.9ll.

Patented 0%. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WM S

LR. MOFFATT.

commune DEVICE FOR OPERATING IMPLEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV- 11. 19H. 4 1,157,170. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 -D erase arena anion."

AMEsR; MO FATT, 0F cHIcAGqnILLrNoIs, as srenonronn on. SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

" CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR OPERA'IiNG IMPLEMENTS 11v SEWING-MACHINES,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applieation filedNovember 11, 1911. SeriaIN'o'. 659,747.

To all whom it may conoern: c I

Be itknown that I, JAMES MOFFATT, a citizen 'of -the United States,-residing" at Chicago, in the county .of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented' certain new and useful Improvements in"Controlling- Devices for- Operating Implements" in Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a' description; referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and? to "the letters and figures-of reference marked thereon. 1

The-invention relates tonew and usefu improvements in controlling devices for an operating implement of a sewing} machine or the like ad-apted to operate upon fabric and to be shifted 'fromefitiVeto ineffective position. j; An object of the invention'i'stc) provide trea'dle-controlled devices for throwing, the operating device or' implement into or''- out of acti'veposition. Y a 1 A further object of thein ventionis {to provide a loclfing mechanism for holding the operating device or implement" in its active position. v 1

Inthe drawings which show byway of illustration one embodiment ofthe" inventi'on,'Figure 1 is a view partly in sectionand partly in side'elevation', showing my improved devices for controllin'g 'theposition of the operating device or implement Fig. Z'is a. plan-view of thesame; Fig. 3- is a' detail partly'in section, showingthe locking latch for holding-the shifting lever; and Fig; 4 is a view on a reducedscale, showing the treadlefor operatingthe shift- 7 ing lever;

I have shown my improved shifting device as applied to a rufliing implement'used in connection with a sewin'g'machina' In doing certain classes of stitching, it is de sired to'use a rufii'er whiclimaybemoved' laterally and positioned in front of the needle fonstitchin g, and which may be moved from said operative or effective position in the opposite direction" to an inoperative or ineffective position, so as s to give ready access to the material being stitched, and'to remove the rufll er from" all contact With the. material, or" interference with the movement ofthe material. My invention, however; is" not restric ted to the shifting of an implement of'the above chara te as t" t n de ired to 'impl'es ments'of different characters, so as to ren-- der the same inoperative or ineffective, or for other purposes.

In the shifting of an implement where they opcratorhas other devices to control, it is sometimes desirable to provide automatic means for shifting the implement in onedirection and a treadle for moving the implem'ent irr the other direction. One' feature of-applioants; invention is to construct de-. vices for'- shifting the implement herein the shifting of the implement in- -th'e oppo- Patented ode. to, 1,915.,

v show-n automatically in one direction, while site 'di'rection 'i's;controlled a treadle. In t,

this-type of mecha-nism it isoftenstrain upon-theoperatorto hold the' treadle de-' pressed' against' the a'ction of the means for automaticallythrowingthe implement out I of actlonr Ainother'phase-of my"invention consists inprovidi ng' a locking latch, which will *h-Fold the implement in operative p0"- sition against the actionflof the shifting means, whicln locking; latch may be controlled by", the 'treadle and thus the entire strain of holding'the implement, in active position is relieved from the operator.

Referring to the-drawings,*wherein one embodiment" of the invention is illustrated,-

Thave provided an implement l which is carriedby anarm, 2 mounted on a support 3? This -'i'mplement is oscillated by a shaft extending through a sleeve 4: and connected in any suitable-Way with the supporting member ,for "the'implement. The shaft is in turn-oscillated by a reciprocating rod 5 which is connected to a rock shaft 6 that i may be oscillated in; any desired way. The

implement 1' is shifted laterally relati ve to a eedle 7,, in order to render the same cf; fective or ineffective. VVhen the implement,

is placedin front ofthe needle, it is in position" for-"action" upon the material, and np'on' the oscillation ofth'e rock shaft '6 the implement may be vibrated back and forth.

The sleeve-'4 and the supportS are connected by'a bracket 8, and said sleeve" and support arepreferably mounted sothat they may slide longitudinally, so as to move the implement into operative or inoperative position. The bracket 8 is moved l'on-gitudi nally by a shiftinglever 9', which is pivoted 'atlO to a suitable supporting frame;

- A springll; is connected atxone end to said shifting-leverfi atits other end to the frame. This spring will operate to shift the lever 9 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. The movement of the shifting lever through the action of the spring, will carry the implement 1 away from the needle 7 and hold the same in its inoperative position.

As a means for moving the shifting lever in the opposite direction to carry the implement into active position, Thave formed the shifting lever 9 with a downwardly projecting arm 12. Mounted on the frame is a rock shaft 13, carrying an arm 14: in which is mounted a roller 15, adapted to engage the arm-12. The rock shaft 13 is provided with a spring 16, which normally turns the .rock shaft 13 so as to. carry the roller 15 into contact with the arm 12 and move the shifting lever against. the action of the spring 11. This movement of the shifting lever will carry the operating implement into operative position. When the treadle is released, the spring will at once throw the implement into inoperative or inactive position. V

From this construction it will be seen that the operator is obliged to hold the treadle depressed against the action of the spring 11. As a means for locking the shift ing lever so as to relieve the operator from this strain, I have provided a latch, which is pivoted to the frame andcarries a locking finger 22 adapted to engage a stud 23 on the lower end of the arm 12. The end of the finger 22 is preferably cam-shaped, so that said stud will ride over said cam-shaped end and drop behind the shoulder of the locking finger. Said latch carries a second arm 24, which is so positioned as to be engaged by a lug 25 on the arm 14. When the shifting lever is thrown againstthe tenaway from the arm 24: of the latch as the sion'of the spring 11, so as to bring the implement into-operative position, the latch will engage the stud 23 and hold the parts locked in this position. The lug 25 moves rock shaft is swung by the treadle to shift the lever 9. This latch will, therefore, hold the shifting lever against the tension of the spring 11 and relieve the operator from all strain except the necessary pressure to i hold the treadle down against the tension of the lifting spring for the treadle and the spring 16 for the rock shaft 13.

When it is desired to render the imple ment inactive, the operator allows the treadle to raise sufficiently for the lug 25 to engage the locking latch and lift the same from engagement with the locking stud 23. This frees the shifting lever, so that the spring. 11 may at once throw the implement to inactive position.

The lug 25 has sufficient movement before releasing the latch 22 to place the roller 15 on the arm 14: out of the way of the movement of the lever by the springrll. The locking finger 22 when out of engagement with the pin 23 is always in engagement with the lug 25. Themovement of the arm 14: is limited by the stop 26 engaging a lug on the supporting base.

It is obvious, as above noted, that my shifting lever and locking device may be applied to various devices such as a presser foot for a sewing machine or the like, wherein it is desired to automatically throw the same in one direction and to lock the same against the action of said automatic shifting means. 7

It is obvious. that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made, without departing from the spirit of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to'secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In a sewing machine, the combination of an operating implement adapted to be shifted from one position to another, means for shifting said implement including a lever, a spring for moving the lever in one direction, manually operated means for moving the lever in the opposite direction, a movable locking device for holding said lever from movement by said spring, and means operated upon the return movement of said manually operated means for releasing said movable locking device. 7 p

2. In a sewing machine, the combination of an operating implement adapted to be shifted from one position to another, means for shifting said implement including a lever, a spring for moving the lever in one direction, treadle controlled means for moving the lever in the opposite direction, a latch for locking said lever from movement by said spring, and means operated upon the return movement ofthe treadle for releasing said latch. 9 7

3. In a sewing machine, the combination of an implement adapted to be shifted from one position to another, means for shifting the same including a shifting lever, aspring for moving said lever in one direction, a rock lever having an arm for engaging said shifting lever for moving the same against the action of the spring, alatch for holding said shifting lever against movement by the spring, and devices operated upon the return movement of the rock lever for releasing said latch. r

4- In a sewing machine, the combination of an implement adapted to be shifted from one position to another, means for shifting the same including a shifting lever, a spring for moving said lever in one direction, a rock lever having an arm for engaging said shifting lever for moving the same against the action of the spring, a latch for holding said shifting lever against movement by the spring, and devices operated upon the return movement of the rock lever for releasing said latch, said devices including a treadle for moving the rock lever to shift the implement against the action of the spring, and a spring for returning the trea- V dle to release the latch In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES R. MOFFATT. Witnesses 2 C. MONEIL, I A. B. CLo'rHIE Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

